Multiscale Investigation of the Neural and electrochemical correlates of temporal Distortions

Objetivo

The MIND project aims to uncover how the brain encodes and processes time on a sub-second scale, which is crucial for perceiving,
predicting, and interacting with our environment. Current research is fragmented, as electrochemical and electrophysiological
correlates of time perception have mostly been studied separately. MIND will integrate these perspectives by investigating how
phasic dopamine fluctuations influence subjective duration. The project has two main objectives: first, to provide causal evidence for
dopamine's role in time perception by studying Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients ON and OFF dopaminergic medication, combined
with scalp EEG recordings; second, to test how dopamine modulates the speed of neural trajectories and the slope of ramping
activity, using both scalp EEG and intracranial local-field potentials (LFPs). These objectives will be achieved using a robust behavioral
task designed to induce temporal distortions, applied across PD patients (combined with EEG) and epileptic patients with implanted
intracranial electrodes (iEEG). By combining cutting-edge techniques like fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) with intracranial
electrophysiological recordings, MIND will provide new insights into the neural mechanisms of temporal cognition. The project's
findings are expected to advance our understanding of subjective duration and, in the long term, its deficits in neurological disorders, offering potential new research avenues and the potential to refine therapeutic strategies.